International credit woes causing losses among overseas equity markets continued to dampen the JSE by midday on Friday. The JSE’s broader all share index had shed 0,45% by noon, which was led by a 2,5% decline in the bank index. Financials were down 1,86% and industrials gave up 0,57%.
A man accused of killing 18-year-old Kyle Norris in an East Rand nightclub in 2006 pleaded self defence in the Johannesburg High Court on Thursday. ”I had no intention of killing anyone,” Jonathan Street told Judge Nico Coetzee on Thursday afternoon.
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Common ground on affirmative action should be found, African National Congress president Jacob Zuma told a largely white Afrikaner gathering on Thursday night. He told union members that they had no home other than South Africa and as such, their concerns should be taken seriously.
Zimbabwe has invited 47 regional and sub-regional organisations as well as countries from Africa, Asia, the Americas and one European country — Russia — to observe this month’s election, the government mouthpiece Herald reported on Friday.
At least 125 students were arrested during a protest at Durban’s Mangosuthu University of Technology on Thursday, police said. Captain Khephu Ndlovu said the students would face charges of public violence and malicious damage to property.
A Cape Town memorial to two anti-apartheid struggle heroes has been stolen, apparently for its scrap value, even though it was only a stone’s throw away from a police station. The memorial was to students Coline Williams and Robbie Waterwitch, who died in 1989 when a bomb they were handling exploded.
South Africa will continue engaging with the European Union to ensure new trade agreements with African countries do not harm regional integration, President Thabo Mbeki said on Thursday. Africa’s biggest economy has criticised the economic partnership agreements (EPA) designed to open up trade.
Sexual harassment of women in miniskirts at Johannesburg taxi ranks has been occurring for at least eight years, the Gauteng community safety portfolio committee heard on Thursday. However, only one incident has been reported to the police.
Hundreds of members of the South African Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) were arrested on Thursday after invading the Nelson Mandela 2010 Stadium in Port Elizabeth, the union said. Branch chairperson Nomvula Hadi said workers were leaving the stadium when police opened fire with rubber bullets and teargas.
South Africa’s Cabinet has approved a Bill that would speed up its land reform programme aimed at transferring 30% of farmland to black ownership by 2014, a government spokesperson said on Thursday. An existing land expropriation act has failed to make significant inroads into land redistribution.
The issue of race has opened an ugly wound on the South African landscape.
Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry Lindiwe Hendricks is guilty of ”denialism” when she says South Africa is not facing a water crisis, the Democratic Alliance (DA) said on Thursday. The country faces serious problems stemming from polluted water sources and the poor management of dams, sewage works and treatment plants, the DA said.
The government has approved an R8,6-billion road and rail improvement scheme to help cater for thousands of visitors expected for the 2010 soccer World Cup, a spokesperson said on Thursday. The Moloto rail corridor project will link Gauteng with Mpumalanga in the north-east close to the popular Kruger National Park.
National People’s Party (NPP) leader Badih Chaaban on Thursday made his third appearance in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court for allegedly throwing a cup at former NPP official Johan van der Merwe. According to the charge sheet, the incident happened in September last year, but the document gave no further details.
Seven new Bills have been approved by South Africa’s Cabinet to be submitted to Parliament. They include the already controversial Expropriation Bill. The Expropriation Bill seeks to replace the Expropriation Act of 1975, which, Cabinet spokesperson Themba Maseko said on Thursday, does not conform with the Constitution.
Three South African names appear on this year’s Forbes World Billionaires list, released late on Wednesday. The names include Nicky Oppenheimer, Anton Rupert and mining magnate Patrice Motsepe — this country’s first black billionaire. Nicholas Oppenheimer is placed 173rd on the list, while Rupert is in 284th place and Motsepe is at number 503.
Delays in construction as a result of the country’s current electricity-supply problem undermine efforts to grow the economy, the African National Congress (ANC) said on Thursday. ”Every effort must be made to ensure that the current problems in electricity supply do not negatively affect the building of projects of this nature,” it said in a statement.
The Cabinet has given the assurance that everything possible is being done to address the British government’s concerns about the security of South African passports. ”South African passports are among the safest … in the world, and that’s the reason why they are being targeted,” government communications head Themba Maseko said on Thursday.
The South African Cabinet has condemned recent incidents of racism and sexism around the country, saying they have the potential to undermine South Africa’s Constitution, a government spokesperson said on Thursday. ”The transgressors must know that there will be legal consequences,” government communications head Themba Maseko said.
The South African government has moved to stem the haemorrhaging of jobs in the mining industry by allowing mines to increase their power consumption to 95% of normal usage. Minister of Energy and Minerals Buyelwa Sonjica was cited in various media reports on Thursday as saying that mines would be allowed to up their power use by 5%.
In February 2008 year-on-year growth in house prices in the middle segment of the market slowed further to a nominal 8,7% from a revised 9,9% in January, Absa said on Thursday. ”House-price growth has not been so low since the end of 1999, when it was 9,3%,” it said.
Finance Minister Trevor Manuel has won his high court bid to stop an activist claiming he is guilty of corruption over the arms deal. The ruling was handed down on Thursday morning. The court ordered that Terry Crawford-Browne be interdicted and restrained from ”publishing any matter in which it is alleged that the applicant is corrupt”.
South Africa’s new basket of producer price inflation stood at 10,4% year-on-year in January, official data showed on Thursday. Statistics South Africa said the headline number represented domestic output which measured 9,5% in December. On a monthly basis, PPI increased by 1%.
South African financial-services firm Sanlam said on Thursday its full-year normalised headline earnings fell 22% due to a slowdown in equity markets in 2007 and compared with high returns in 2006. It also warned of a tough year ahead as interest rates, higher inflation, a power-supply crunch at home and volatility in international financial markets take their toll.
Platinum Stars maintained their impressive record against Kaizer Chiefs as they held the Soweto club to a 0-0 draw in a Premier Soccer League match at the Loftus Stadium on Wednesday evening. Chiefs remain in 12th place with 24 points from 21 games and Stars stay put in ninth place with 26 points.
Firm resource stocks helped the JSE extend its gains by midday on Thursday, even though bank and financial counters were softer. By noon, the JSE’s broader all-share index lifted 1,17%, led by a 1,94% advance in resources. The gold mining index recovered 0,98% while the platinum mining index edged up 0,04%.
South African crane operator Zoliswa Gila rises high above the pervasive chauvinistic view that her job should be reserved for members of the male sex. ”Most people think I am crazy to do the job I am doing, saying it’s only for men,” the 31-year-old said at Green Point in Cape Town where she is helping build a 68 000-seater stadium.
Reitz hostel, at the centre of a racist video controversy, on Wednesday apologised unconditionally to all students and other hostels. Reitz house father and head of hostel Christo Dippenaar said the whole hostel and its house committee had discussed the video and had decided to offer an unconditional apology for the video.
Rural areas are seen as a disaster. Every time there is a need to motivate for more money, more support and additional resources, the poor rural areas are dragged in to justify whatever is needed. Sadly, after the funding is allocated, often very little ends up actually improving the situation in rural areas.
Jomo Cosmos again showed why they are in the relegation zone when 10-man Free State Stars held them to a goalless draw at the Oppenheimer Stadium in Orkney on Wednesday. Stars had the better chances but good goalkeeping by Cosmos keeper Avril Phali denied them victory.
Moroka Swallows hammered struggling Black Leopards 3-1 in their Premier Soccer League match played at Thohoyandou Stadium on Wednesday afternoon. The score was level 1-1 at half-time. The home side, Leopards, were the first to score as early as the 12th minute when striker Mulondo Sikhwivhilu put the ball in the net.
Mamelodi Sundowns beat Lamontville Golden Arrows 2-1 in their Premier Soccer League clash at King Zwelithini Stadium on Wednesday afternoon. Sundowns led 1-0 at half-time. Trott Moloto’s lads won with goals from Aldave Benitez in the 42nd minute and Fanyana Dhladhla in the 55th minute.